Legislators studying year-round school for all AR students

This is our sons first year at eSTEM Public Charter School after being in a traditional public school for 3 years. Let me tell you, he LOVES it and we LOVE it too. They have an extended day plus extended year. Now, for all of you whining about losing summer breaks....you get more breaks throughout the school year than the traditional schools so you have a lot of time to take vacations, go see grandparents or other parent, go swimming, etc. The benefit to this extended year and days is that the teachers have more time in the day to teach each subject. They offer extra subjects/activities from 3:00 to 4:30 such as foreign language, chess teams, robotics teams, tutoring, homework time, music lessons, scouts (boy/girl), etc. Our son is taking music theory, acustic guitar, and chess and it is all during their school day. They do not bring home homework because they have time to complete their work during the school day. Most of the extra activities are done during the 3:00 - 4:30 time and you do not have to run after school all over town to get your son/daughter to music or basketball or cheerleading, etc. Our before/after child care needs are now gone. Our son has learned so much this school year it just amazes me each day. Don't knock the extended school year until you understand it more and understand that the traditional system is failing our kids.

they don't care about an "edge" they care about having your kids under "Their" control more...wake up people

i think that grade school and jr. high should have summer vacation. traditional high school on a 12 month year would be of benefit. first and foremost it would teach the young what it is like to work for a living. not to mention keeping them off the streets.

Yeah, that will go over well.

My kids make excellent grades, and they enjoy the summer activities such as going to the pool, boating, visiting grandparents, vacations, ect. If you want year round school then home school! Ijs

I attended a school to where we went 9 weeks and was off for 3 weeks year around. We also had 4 weeks off for summer. The grade point average in the school was over a 3.0. The main problem was a family that had more than one child. They found it difficult getting the kids schedules all the same.

It might help them have enough time to include all the new topics of our age without having to cram and teach to the test. They've already basically ruined August anyway with scooting up to mid month but they still need time off- wondering does year round mean the extra 20 days like in the report or does it mean something else? How much time would summer off be? Got to have summer, kids learn allot then as well and with families divided the way they are they need time with them to. Does anyone see where we are becoming a institution nation again?-kids are now committed or warehoused more and more- a plus and minus is more parents might be able to afford their part time jobs -the ones that don't have benefits any more --thanks to other past improvements-- right??????

Why not make it year round , but giev them a week or two off at a time. a few times during each year. That wouldn't be enough time to loose what they have learned.

HA! Damn that sucks for you guys.

Okay so if an extended school year will benefit students, that would be a positive. interrupting the students and families vacation plans, a negative. But something has to be done to lift the intelligence level and competitive edge of future American leaders. Lord knows we have a distinct disadvantage to Europe and Asia in the education field...Need more information.